Imperial Tone

Tenacious, Dutch-descended South Africans remember that scarce a quarter century has passed since the Boer Republic of their fathers was extinguished by Queen Victoria's armies. Moreover, the Dominion of South Africa is but 16 years old. To many a South African Boer* the possibility of disunion from the British Empire and a return to Republicanism seems an ideal not hopelessly remote from attainment. Therefore when General James B. M. Hertzog, Dutch-descended Premier of South Africa, returned last week from the Imperial Conference at London (TIME, Nov. 1 et seq.) all Cape Town awaited eagerly his first pronouncement. . . . Would he advocate disunion?

"Most emphatically," said Premier Hertzog, "I no longer fear the Empire! I have been a lifelong opponent of Imperialism. . . . That was because the Empire used to be represented as a superstate. . . . But at the Imperial Conference the conception of a superstate was scrapped (TIME, Nov. 29). Today there remains no question of domination or superiority of the mother country over the Dominions. Each is now free to follow its own will."

Significance. The speech of General Hertzog created a sensation because of its tone of loyalty to the Empire. At London Premier Hertzog fulminated so violently against the very word "Empire" that even the King-Emperor began to refer to the "Commonwealth."

Back in Cape Town, however, Premier Hertzog wisely took, last week, the line of not encouraging his supporters in vain hopes for a Republic. A careful reading of the Premier's speech shows, however, that it is consistent in letter with his former views of South Africa's absolute right to autonomy. In tone the speech was far more Imperial than is Premier Hertzog's wont.

*Dutch for "farmer," a corruption of the English "boor," a coarse rustic.